The Shell Lake Massacre

Even Kathy Hill's four children didn't know the full details of the tragedy that overshadowed her earlier life until The Shell Lake Massacre podcast debuted last August. "Now my family might be remembered," Hill, 76, tells host Brittany Caffet in this bonus episode. Caffet met with Hill at her home in Spiritwood to reflect on the impact of the six-part series covering the lives and deaths of the Peterson family.

On January 11th, 1968, Victor Ernest Hoffman was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the murders of James and Evelyn Peterson... but our story doesn't end there. It's been more than five decades since nine people were slaughtered in that small white farmhouse by the highway near Shell Lake, but the weight of this crime is still felt daily by those who were left behind. Episode 6 explores the lasting impact that the murder of Jim, Evelyn, Jean, Mary, Dorothy, Pearl, William, Colin and Larry Peterson has had on those closest to them and the community as a whole.

They say there are three sides to every story: your side, my side, and the truth... But when one of us is dead, can the truth ever really be known? We’ll never know with complete certainty what happened in the home of Jim and Evelyn Peterson on that fateful day in August of 1967, but we do have one side of the story. Days after the family was slaughtered, Victor Ernest Hoffman confessed to committing one of the worst random mass murders in Canadian history. Episode 5 explores the confession of Victor Ernest Hoffman and shocking details that were revealed throughout the course of the trial.

Less than three weeks after being discharged from a hospital for the mentally ill, 21 year old Victor Hoffman found himself driving along the highway away from his family's farm. As he traveled toward the small community of Shell Lake, an urge to kill that had settled deeply within him over the last number of months grew stronger and stronger. Within the hour, he would commit one of the worst random mass murders in Canadian history. Episode 4 explores the early life of Victor Hoffman, his mental health struggles, and previously unheard details about the police investigation that led to his arrest.

Sources used in this episode include "Schizophrenia, Mass Murder, and The Law," an article by Fannie Hoffer Kahan, as well as "Shell Lake Massacre," a book by Peter Tadman.

19 year old Kathy Hill was just over one month into life as a newlywed when an unexpected knock on the door changed everything. Within hours she was in a car heading toward the home she had left just a few weeks earlier, but the family she had left behind wouldn't be there when she returned. All but one member of her family had been annihilated in a crime that still stands as one of the worst random mass murders in Canadian history... and she had no clue who the sole survivor was. Episode 3 explores Kathy's journey back to Saskatchewan, the police hunt for the killer and the funeral for 9 members of the Peterson family.

On the morning of August 15th, 1967, the community of Shell Lake was thrust into chaos with the discovery of a horrific crime. 9 members of the Peterson family were found dead in their own home. With no apparent motive and no indication as to who the killer was, people locked their doors and loaded their guns... terrified that their family would be next. Episode 2 explores the events surrounding the discovery of the mass murder of the Peterson family.

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, August 15th, 1967, a complete stranger entered a small white farmhouse near Shell Lake, Saskatchewan. By the time this stranger left, nine people inside the home were dead. Episode One explores the Peterson family with the lone surviving daughter. The Shell Lake Massacre Homepage